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Barksdale Organization
The Barksdale Organization was a West Baltimore narcotics trafficking organization. They operated from the late 1990s until their dissolution in 2004. Their outfit was led by Avon Barksdale and Russell "Stringer" Bell. History Background The Barksdale Organization secured five of the seven high-rise towers in Franklin Terrace and the low-rise McCullough Homes, or “The Pit,” to traffic cocaine and heroin. Avon and Stringer secured a heroin and cocaine supply through a Dominican crime organization in New York City. Avon enlisted a team of enforcers including childhood friend Roland Brice. Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Structure The principal supply of cocaine and heroin was diluted and packaged in a house in Pimlico before distribution. The organization laundered its profits through various front businesses including a funeral parlor, Orlando's Gentlemen's Club, and B&B, a real estate development company. Their organization donated to, and bribed, State Senator Clay Davis to attempt to secure development contracts. Avon employed crew chiefs to manage each of the five towers and the low-rise homes. The chiefs supervised dealers, "touts" to attract customers, "runners" to deliver narcotics, and "look-outs" to monitor for law enforcement officials stick-up crews. A strict telephone usage policy was applied throughout the organization. The pager messages were encoded to prevent easy tracing of the telephones used, all of which were public telephones. The code was based on simple use of the telephone keypad - numbers were swapped with their opposite across the number five, and five was exchanged with zero. This made it easily accessible to the poorly educated drug dealers. Each pager-carrying member of the hierarchy was identified by a number. When pages were returned with a phone call no names were supposed to be used, and if a name was used, the speaker was reminded not to. A separate code was used for resupply signals, which involved turning the pager display upside down. Tower One - 221 - Peanut, Roc-Roc (lieutenant) Tower Three - 954 Tower Four - 770 - Savino Tower Five - 851 - Ronnie Moe, Little Vic (dealer) Membership |'ALIVE' |- | | INCARCERATED |- | |'DECEASED' |- | |'INACTIVE' |} | Russell Bell | 1, 2, 3 | Deceased | Russell "Stringer" Bell was Avon Barksdale's chief administrator before Avon's arrest, acting boss while Avon was incarcerated, and street boss upon Avon's release. He was shot and killed by Omar Little and Brother Mouzone. |} | Gerard | 3 | Incarcerated | Gerard was an inexperienced Barksdale soldier. He was arrested and indicted in 2004. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#1A1717;" | | Sapper | 3 | Incarcerated | Sapper was a simple-minded Barksdale soldier. He was arrested and indicted in 2004. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#B43F3F;" | | Anton Artis | 1 | Deceased | Anton "Stinkum" Artis was an enforcer in the Barksdale crew. He managed the the transfer of drugs from Franklin Terrace to the low-rise housing project known as "The Pit". Artis was shot by Omar Little in retaliation for Brandon Wright's torture and murder. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#B43F3F;" | | Wintell Royce | 1 | Deceased | Wintell "Little Man" Royce was a heavyset soldier in the Barksdale crew. He was the chief enforcer of Tower 221 in Franklin Terrace. Royce shot Shakima "Kima" Greggs, drawing the attention of law enforcement and media. Deeming Royce unreliable, Russell "Stringer" Bell ordered Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice to murder Royce in 2002. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#B43F3F;" | | Savino Bratton | 1, 5 | Deceased | Savino Bratton was a low-level enforcer and crew chief of Tower 4, 770, in Franklin Terrace. He drove Wendell "Orlando" Blocker from prison to an alley where Wintell "Little Man" Royce and Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice murdered Blocker and wounded Greggs. Savino was convicted for three years for his involvement in the shooting. By 2008, he was involved in the Stanfield Organization. Savino was shot and killed by Omar Little in 2008 in retaliation for Butchie's torture and murder. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#B43F3F;" | | "Country" | 2, 3 | Deceased | "Country" was a Barksdale soldier who, despite being on parole, resumed his involvement with the Barksdale Organization in 2003. He was shot and killed in an attempted drive-by in 2004. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#B43F3F;" | | Rico | 2, 3 | Deceased | Rico was a heavy-set Barksdale enforcer who often worked as a bodyguard or door man. Rico was shot and killed by Felicia "Snoop" Pearson in a drive-by in 2004. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#B43F3F;" | | "Tank" | 2, 3 | Deceased | A minor Barksdale enforcer from season 3. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#B43F3F;" | | "Tater" | 3 | Deceased | Tater was a soldier working for Avon Barksdale. He was shot and killed by Chris Partlow while attempting to drive away Perry, "Slim" Charles, and Avon Barksdale. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#3C3C69;" | | Dennis Wise | 3, 4, 5 | Inactive | Dennis "Cutty" Wise is an ex-convict who briefly resumed his affiliation with the Barksdale Organization upon his release from Jessup in 2004. Wise's involvement ended when he realized he was unable to kill Fruit. His departure is approved by Avon, who later gives Wise $15,000 to start his community boxing gym. |- style="font-size:11px; text-align: left;vertical-align:top; background-color:#3C3C69;" | | Slim Charles | 3, 4, 5 | Inactive | "Slim" Charles became an enforcer for Avon in 2004 after the incarceration of Wee-Bey, Bird, and Savino, and the deaths of Little Man and Stinkum. After the dissolution of the Barksdale Organization, Slim became the chief bodyguard and advisor to Proposition Joe. After Joe's murder and the dissolution of the Stanfield Organization, Charles and Ricardo "Fat Face Rick" Hendrick became the new leadership of the New Day Co-Op. |} Homicides References Category:Barksdale organization Category:Gangs